I don't expect much from pubs. I sit at a sticky wooden table, shield my ears from the blaring ballgames, and work my way through a too-big hamburger, a foamy beer, perhaps a plate of scrawny wings that leave my fingers reeking of vinegar. I go to a pub to be fed and be done with it, and rarely do I glean much else.

The Crown & Hammer is different. From the moment I entered, I was charmed. Housed in the former train depot beside an ax factory in the Collinsville section of Canton, the space looks historic without succumbing to typical New England quaint. The narrow dining hall seems expansive with its high ceilings and dramatic moldings, painted in striking shades of blue. Photographs of old Collinsville circle the room; one wall subtly displays an assortment of Collinsville axes and machetes, once used the world over to chop things to bits. Booths are tight but comfortable; the clever layout provides a measure of intimacy despite the small quarters.

For a pub, the space is surprisingly sophisticated, and the food mostly keeps up. I enjoyed the unusually peppery pulled pork sandwich on a fresh hard roll, though the pork was a bit dry. I also give them credit for the beef tenderloin ``sandwich,'' a substantial steak topped with fried onions atop melted Stilton and a crisp slice of bread. The flavors made an energetic combination, very rich but perfect for a late lunch. The steak itself was not the best of cuts and had more gristle than I care to gnaw on; fix that issue and this dish will be a winner.

The corned beef Reuben, on the other hand, was not very good; both too salty and too sweet, I wouldn't care to eat more than half of the over-stuffed sandwich. And the wings were, indeed, pub-like -- scrawny and reliant on heat and vinegar, without much flavor or finesse.

Balancing the bar-food of Reubens and wings are the dinner entrees, upscale and relatively inexpensive dishes that show skillful cooking. The entree menu is well rounded, and rounds up the usual suspects, from ahi tuna encrusted with black sesame seeds to the now-ubiquitous steak au poivre. Such choices are not exotic, but neither are they plain, and this seems appropriate for the Crown & Hammer. The pork tenderloin is particularly well done, flavored with apricot and brandy, though not so heavily that it mutes the taste of the pork itself. And the pecan-crusted trout was fresh and high quality, despite its almost too-sweet coat of honey and hazelnut butter. The trout was served atop a crisp cake of potatoes and scallions, one of the tastiest items on the menu.

My only disappointment with the Crown & Hammer was dessert. Three were available on one of my visits, each as mundane as the next: a chocolate lava cake, a three-layer chocolate cake and a tiramisu, a dessert with a widespread popularity that I find entirely undeserved. The restaurant would do well to grab an ax down from the wall and make quick work of its current dessert menu. It would have been nice to top off our satisfying meals with more clever confections.

The Crown & Hammer seems to be enjoying a steady stream of business -- you'd do well to make reservations around the weekends. Of course, if you have to wait, one could take a stroll around the village, with river views and antique shops that make it one of my favorite spots in the Farmington Valley. I'm pleased that they now have a top-notch pub to add to the list of attractions.